The Colorado String Quartet
The Colorado String Quartet continues its recording career with a coupling of two of the
most tragic and dramatic works in the chamber music repertoire. Schubert's Quartet in D Minor,
D. 8lO, Death and the Maiden is among the most familiar of all string quartets. Mendelssohn's
Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80, is a seldom-performed masterpiece. Both share the theme of death,
Schubert's in its subject matter, Mendelssohn's in its circumstances and tone. It was the only
major work Mendelssohn wrote between the sudden, shocking death of his beloved sister (and
fellow-composer) Fanny and his own death half a year later.

The Colorado String Quartet's first CD for Parnassus, Brahms's two String Quartets, Op.
51 (PACD 96007) was a great critical success and has already gone through three printings.
Martin Anderson wrote of it in Fanfare, "This is simply one of the best discs of chamber music to
come my way in a long, long time....I have played it again and again since it arrived, and every
time it sets my musical adrenaline coursing. Do yourself a favor and buy it." And David Patrick
Stearns wrote in USA Today, "String quartet lovers will be baffled that this group isn't better
known. It's not just their fine sense of ensemble; each member also projects an absorbing
individuality that never taxes overall cohesion. Both quartets go well, but Op. 51 No. 1 is
amazing, thanks to a rhythmic urgency that brings out the music's youthful energy and keeps
melancholy moments from lapsing into tedious self pity."

Since releasing its first Parnassus CD, the Colorado String Quartet has widened its
audience with appearances at the Mostly Mozart Festival (including concerts on three consecutive
days), the Bard Music Festival, and many new venues. The ensemble maintains its yearly
Soundfest every Summer in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where it performs and teaches younger
groups.

Parnassus CDs are distributed exclusively in the USA by Qualiton. In the UK by Regis Records
Records
, in Italy by Fenice, in Germany by Geberhardt Musikvertrieb and in Japan by Tobu Land Trading.
If you cannot find them at your favourite record store, please ask for them and please take a moment to tell us